Posted By Sean Robinson on November 20, 2009 at 8:26 pm
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A 15-year-old boy is in critical condition at Mary Bridge Hospital following a collision in the McKenna area earlier today.
The boy was riding a bicycle near State Route 702 at 90th Avenue South at about 5:30 p.m., according to the Washington State Patrol. He was hit by an SUV and suffered head injuries, said Trooper Brandy Kessler.
Posted By Adam Lynn on November 20, 2009 at 4:35 pm
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A Lake Tapps man sentenced this week to serve 25 years in prison for federal child-sex crimes pleaded guilty today to similar charges in state court.
Weldon Marc Gilbert, 49, entered guilty pleas to two counts of first-degree child molestation and nine counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in Pierce County Superior Court.
Gilbert is to be sentenced Dec. 11.
Whatever sentence he receives is to be served concurrently with his federal sentence under the terms of a plea deal he reached with state authorities, deputy prosecutor Patrick Hammond said.
Federal and state prosecutors contended Gilbert for years used his position as a wealthy pilot to lure boys to his home and convince them to take part in sexual activity. He videorecorded some of the abuse.
Authorities found hundreds of hours of footage in his home, some of it secreted in a hidden compartment in a closet.
Gilbert was arrested in October 2007 after two victims reported the abuse to Pierce County sheriff’s detectives.
He originally was charged in state court, but that case was put on hold while federal authorities prosecuted him.
Gilbert ultimately he pleaded guilty to 35 federal counts – most of them for producing child pornography – and agreed to make a plea deal with state prosecutors, too.
He apologized to his victims Monday during his sentencing hearing at the U.S. District Courthouse in Tacoma.
According to federal court records, over several years, Gilbert sexually abused 17 boys, one as young as 10.
Evidence, including videotapes found at his house, indicates he paddled many of the boys and touched them sexually.
Posted By Stacey Mulick on November 20, 2009 at 3:30 pm
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A former Pierce County sheriff's deputy who was suspected of having sex while on duty last year was found not guilty of first-degree criminal trespass with sexual motivation by a jury this week.
The verdict in Joseph S. Quall's trial was announced Thursday.
Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor fired Qualls, 29, in January after an internal investigation into the allegations against Qualls. He'd been with the department for a little more than two years.
"It appears we hold ourselves to higher standards that the public does," sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said Friday.
A woman told investigators Qualls forced her to perform sexual acts on him. The woman and Qualls each described three encounters between the two in early 2008.
The two first met early on Jan. 4, 2008. Qualls, who was on duty, found her drunk in her parked car and gave her a ride home, prosecutors alleged. The woman said Qualls forced her to perform a sex act; he told investigators he was seduced.
The other two encounters occurred Jan. 11 and Jan. 12. In one incident, the two had sexual contact. The woman said she was forced; Qualls said she'd seduced him.
Posted By Stacey Mulick on November 20, 2009 at 3:16 pm
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The Seattle police officer who survived the shooting Halloween night that killed her partner is being honored by Q13's Washington Most Wanted television show.
Officer Britt Sweeney will be awarded the show's Officer of the Month for November on the episode that airs tonight at 10:30 p.m.
Sweeney also gives her first public interview since the Oct. 31 shooting that killed Seattle officer Timothy Brenton.
"Officer Sweeney will talk about what made her become a police officer, how she's doing since the shooting, how the shooting has changed her and much more," the show announced in a press release.
In addition to airing tonight, the show will air at 10:30 p.m. Saturday.
Posted By Stacey Mulick on November 20, 2009 at 2:02 pm
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A California man was sentenced to federal prison Friday in connection with four bank robberies - including three in the Puyallup area - during the fall of 2007.
Robert Vincent Mendez, 43, now faces trial for four counts of bank robbery in Oregon, the U.S. District Attorney's Office reported today.
Mendez pleaded guilty in August to four bank robberies in Washington. In each heist, the robber implied he had a weapon. He wore dark clothing and a hat pulled low on his face.
In one robbery, the bandit handed the teller a note that read, "Put the money in the bag. Have a nice day. Do not press the alarm." He underlined the last sentence and highlighted it, federal prosecutors reported.
Tacoma police arrested Mendez in November 2007 on a warrant out of California. Investigators then tied him to a string of bank robberies in Oregon and Washington in October and November of that year.
Mendez has admitted to the following heists:
* Columbia Bank on South Meridian in Puyallup on Oct. 19, 2007.
* Wells Fargo on Meridian Avenue East on Nov. 1, 2007.
* Bank of America on Meridian Avenue East in Puyallup on Nov. 17, 2007.
* Washington Mutual Bank in Vancouver in October 2007.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ye-Ting Woo argued in her sentencing memorandum that the robberies had a lasting impact on the tellers.
"Two of the bank employees also expressed to law enforcement agents that they continue to have nightmares of the incident, and one of them left the employment of the bank shortly afterwards," she wrote.
U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Leighton sentenced Mendez to seven years, three months in prison and three years of supervised release at a hearing today.
Mendez also must pay $7,107 in restitution to the banks.
Posted By Stacey Mulick on November 20, 2009 at 1:01 pm
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A man in his 50s suffered a medical emergency and drove his truck into a chiropractic clinic in Auburn this morning.
The incident occurred about 11:30 a.m. in the 1400 block of Auburn Way South, Valley Regional Fire Authority reported.
Paramedics performed CPR on the man. His condition is not known.
Employees of Auburn Chiropractic Clinic were evacuated after a portion of the exterior wall collapsed, the fire authority reported. No one in the building was injured.
One northbound lane of Auburn Way North is blocked by the activity.
Posted By Stacey Mulick on November 20, 2009 at 9:39 am
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A crash is blocking the HOT lane of northbound State Route 167 at 15th Street Northwest near Auburn, the state DOT reports.
The incident began about 9:20 a.m.
Firefighters, troopers and transportation crews are on the scene.
UPDATE: The crash has been cleared. The HOT lane is back open to traffic.
Posted By Stacey Mulick on November 20, 2009 at 5:33 am
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David Hegseth
UPDATE: Lakewood police just announced that David W. Hegseth has been found at a bus stop in Federal Way.
A citizen spotted Hegseth and contacted a friend, who then called police.
Pierce County sheriff's deputies are taking Hegseth back to his care facility in Lakewood, Lakewood police Lt. Heidi Hoffman reports.
"His mother asked me to extend the family's heartfelt thanks to everyone who broadcasted/published David's photo," Hoffman reported.
ORIGINAL POST: Lakewood police are searching for a 50-year-old disabled man who went missing from a care facility Thursday night.
David W. Hegseth is deaf, has serious medical issues and has the mental capacity of a 10-year-old, Lakewood police reported.
He's 5 feet 10 and 165 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.
Hegseth was last seen about 7:15 p.m. at 5302 111th St. S.W. He was wearing a black sweatshirt, gray pants and black slippers.
Police say he recently moved to Lakewood from Gig Harbor and is not familiar with the Lakewood area.
Posted By Brian Everstine on November 19, 2009 at 4:10 pm
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A collision is blocking the right lane of State Route 18 east of Weyerhaeuser Way in Auburn.
The crash happened at 3:50 p.m. It is not known how long to closure will last.
UPDATE: All clear.
Posted By Stacey Mulick on November 19, 2009 at 3:08 pm
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Law enforcement officers believe they've arrested a young man wanted for four bank robberies in Pierce County.
The 24-year-old man was arrested without incident at a South End apartment this afternoon, Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.
Tips to Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers helped to identify the suspected bank robber.
Crime Stoppers released bank surveillance photographs of the robber last week in hopes someone would recognize him and call authorities.
Investigators believe the robber is responsible for the following robberies:
* Sept. 28 at First Citizens Bank, 1902 64th Ave. W., Fircrest.
* Oct. 8 at Community First Credit Union, 4702 S. Pine St., Tacoma.
* Oct. 26 at Rainier Pacific Bank, 11821 Canyon Road E., Pierce County.
* Nov. 6 at TAPCO Credit Union, 13505 Pacific Ave., Parkland.
In each incident, the robber approached the counter and handed the teller a note. The note indicated the bandit was armed and demanded cash, investigators reported. The robber grabbed the money and ran from the bank.
UPDATE: The man was booked into Pierce County Jail about 4:40 p.m. on four counts of first-degree robbery.
